As a huge Septimus fan, I simply had to write this story once I got the idea for it. It's a "what if" piece that just struck me as I was watching the movie. It follows the plot of the movie up until Tristan and Yvaine are aboard the flying vessel.

"Uncle Dauntless," a small female voice said as Captain Shakespeare internally winced at the name that only his close family used. There was a reason that he had changed his name. "Who were those people?" the girl asked.

The captain shook his head. As much as he loved his niece, immensely proved by the fact that she was on his ship with no questions asked, he could not disclose that information. He did not know the answer himself.

"I don't honestly know sweetheart. I just don't know."

Without realizing it, the girl batted her eyes and pouted. "Then you just have to find out," she fussed. Her voice lent a characteristic that made it sound less pleading than the words she had used.

"I'll do my best," Captain Shakespeare promised. "In the morning. I already told the crew to put them both in the brig for the night."

"Alright," the girl conceded. She understood that he couldn't exactly reverse orders on a whim. "But make sure that when you finish 'interrogating' them that you get them some better clothes. The girl was only in a bathrobe. Rather awful if you ask me."

"Danu, you know better than to be spying," Captain Shakespeare admonished the young woman standing before him. "You are supposed to stay in your cabin. Especially when you know the crew members are roaming about."

The girl, Danu, sighed. She knew the rules that the Captain had given her were for her own protection. She simply found them insanely frustrating. Infuriating.

"It's not my fault that I just happened to be sitting in my cabin reading with the door open. The crew was supposed to be on deck helping you collect lightning. Either that or sleeping so that they can help later."

Danu had been doing exactly what she said she had been. Sitting and reading with the door open. In the middle of a storm everyone who was awake was expected to be on deck to help. Everyone but Danu.

Danu could not have been expected to anticipate the arrival of visitors on board the ship. Neither the Captain nor his first mate could have predicted that. But still.

"You know why I have the rules that you are expected to follow," Captain Shakespeare said. "To protect you. Your mother would never forgive me if I let anything bad happen to you."

Danu huffed in frustration. "Mum never lets me do anything. She even thinks that letting me walk down the street will cause me to come to harm. Do I look fragile to you?"

Captain Shakespeare hesitated. "Do you want the honest answer or the nice one?" he asked a minute to late.

Danu screamed and threw her hands in the air. She was sick and tired of being treated like a porcelain doll. She knew that women, unless they were witches, rarely left home and that as a small woman she was expected to follow that example more than ever. But now, she had seen a woman who had dared to leave the safety of the place she called home.

She was clearly in danger and fighting for her life. She would probably never choose to leave her house if she could avoid it. But, that woman would make the choice. She would not answer to anyone who "claimed" to be concerned for her safety.

Oh, how Danu longed to have that choice. She longed to be able to have adventures without the constant supervision of a relative. To be free to come and go as she pleased.

The only reason that Danu had even been allowed to accompany Captain Shakespeare on this voyage was that he was her uncle. Her mother trusted her brother to keep Danu safe from harm.

It was so frustrating for her. No one even trusted her to walk ten yards by herself without getting hurt in some fashion. They all assumed that she would fall and break one of her bones.

Being a small woman hurt Danu's cause even more. It was hard to convince anyone that you could take care of yourself and be independent when you were at least a full head shorter than everyone else around you. And slender to the point where no one ever asked you to lift any thing, that made it practically impossible.

Danu did find it difficult to lift some things. But she was stronger than she looked. It was annoying when stronger people were asked to lift anything larger than a piece of parchment for her.

Flopping onto her bed she groaned. She needed to stop being so negative. After all, she was in a rather unique position. On a flying ship with pirates, even if they would never hurt a fly. And, even if they never saw her.

And tomorrow, whether her uncle liked it or not, Danu would find out who the mysterious visitors were. She might even get to hear tales of the things that they had seen.

With a giggle and a smile on her face, Danu drifted off to the world of dreams.

A/N: So I have the next chapter all written and such. I am hoping to get some feedback before I post it though, so that will probably happen sometime next week.I am rather busy so this may have a few long delays.

To anyone reading any of my other stories, I will get back to them and finish. It just may take a while.

Yes, I did steal the name I have for Captain Shakespeare from somewhere else. Imaginary cookies to you if you know, and there will be other names from the same place should it take a few hints for you to know.

To all the Septimus fans, sorry. He won't appear till chapter 3. But I'll get him in. It is about him after all.

The author would like to thank you for your continued support. Your review has been posted.